Verse 9.30
Speaker: Krishna
Sanskrit
अपि चेत्सुदुराचारो भजते मामनन्यभाक् | साधुरेव स मन्तव्यः सम्यग्व्यवसितो हि सः ||३०||
Transliteration (IAST)
api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ samyag vyavasito hi saḥ
Word-by-Word Meanings
api cet-even if
su-durācāraḥ-of very bad conduct
bhajate-worships
ananya-bhāk-with exclusive devotion
sādhuḥ-saintly
mantavyaḥ-to be considered
samyak vyavasitaḥ-rightly resolved
Translation
Even if one of very bad conduct worships Me with exclusive devotion, that person is to be regarded as saintly, for they have rightly resolved.
Commentary
This revolutionary verse declares that exclusive devotion (ananya-bhāk) overrides past misconduct. The devotee's firm resolution toward God transforms their identity from 'durācāra' to 'sādhu.' This is not a license for sin but a declaration of bhakti's transformative power - sincere devotion inevitably purifies character, as the next verse confirms.
Themes
bhaktisurrendermoksha